The Histories · Old Testament
Ezra 10
Ezra 10: the covenant to put away foreign wives and the list of those who had taken them
General context
While Ezra prays and weeps, a very great congregation of men, women and children gathers and weeps. Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, admits the trespass of taking strange wives, says there is still hope, and proposes a covenant to put away the wives and their children according to the counsel of Ezra and those who tremble at God's commandment, and according to the law. He tells Ezra to arise and act. Ezra makes the chief priests, Levites and all Israel swear, then withdraws to the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib, eating and drinking nothing. A proclamation summons all the children of the captivity to Jerusalem within three days on pain of forfeiture and exclusion. On the twentieth day of the ninth month the men of Judah and Benjamin sit in the street of the house of God, trembling because of the matter and the heavy rain. Ezra tells them to confess and to separate from the people of the land and the strange wives. The congregation agrees but says they are many, it is raining, and the work cannot be done in a day or two; they ask that rulers hear cases city by city with local elders and judges. Four men are named in connection with the matter. Ezra and chief men sit from the first day of the tenth month and finish by the first day of the first month. The chapter lists those found to have taken strange wives: priests, beginning with sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, who pledge to put away their wives and offer a ram; Levites, a singer, porters, and men of Israel by family. The last verse says some had children by these wives.
Cited passages: Ezra 10:1, Ezra 10:2, Ezra 10:3, Ezra 10:4, Ezra 10:5, Ezra 10:6, Ezra 10:8, Ezra 10:9, Ezra 10:11, Ezra 10:12, Ezra 10:13, Ezra 10:14, Ezra 10:15, Ezra 10:16, Ezra 10:17, Ezra 10:18, Ezra 10:19, Ezra 10:23, Ezra 10:25, Ezra 10:44
Ezra 10 (KJV)
1Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
2And Shechaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land: yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing.
3Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives, and such as are born of them, according to the counsel of my lord, and of those that tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law.
4Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee: we also will be with thee: be of good courage, and do it.
5Then arose Ezra, and made the chief priests, the Levites, and all Israel, to swear that they should do according to this word. And they sware.
6Then Ezra rose up from before the house of God, and went into the chamber of Johanan the son of Eliashib: and when he came thither, he did eat no bread, nor drink water: for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carried away.
7And they made proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem unto all the children of the captivity, that they should gather themselves together unto Jerusalem;
8And that whosoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the princes and the elders, all his substance should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of those that had been carried away.
9Then all the men of Judah and Benjamin gathered themselves together unto Jerusalem within three days. It was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of the month; and all the people sat in the street of the house of God, trembling because of this matter, and for the great rain.
10And Ezra the priest stood up, and said unto them, Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel.
11Now therefore make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
12Then all the congregation answered and said with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.
13But the people are many, and it is a time of much rain, and we are not able to stand without, neither is this a work of one day or two: for we are many that have transgressed in this thing.
14Let now our rulers of all the congregation stand, and let all them which have taken strange wives in our cities come at appointed times, and with them the elders of every city, and the judges thereof, until the fierce wrath of our God for this matter be turned from us.
15Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahaziah the son of Tikvah were employed about this matter: and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them.
16And the children of the captivity did so. And Ezra the priest, with certain chief of the fathers, after the house of their fathers, and all of them by their names, were separated, and sat down in the first day of the tenth month to examine the matter.
17And they made an end with all the men that had taken strange wives by the first day of the first month.
18And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.
20And of the sons of Immer; Hanani, and Zebadiah.
21And of the sons of Harim; Maaseiah, and Elijah, and Shemaiah, and Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22And of the sons of Pashur; Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethaneel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24Of the singers also; Eliashib: and of the porters; Shallum, and Telem, and Uri.
25Moreover of Israel: of the sons of Parosh; Ramiah, and Jeziah, and Malchiah, and Miamin, and Eleazar, and Malchijah, and Benaiah.
26And of the sons of Elam; Mattaniah, Zechariah, and Jehiel, and Abdi, and Jeremoth, and Eliah.
27And of the sons of Zattu; Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, and Jeremoth, and Zabad, and Aziza.
28Of the sons also of Bebai; Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29And of the sons of Bani; Meshullam, Malluch, and Adaiah, Jashub, and Sheal, and Ramoth.
30And of the sons of Pahath-moab; Adna, and Chelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezaleel, and Binnui, and Manasseh.
31And of the sons of Harim; Eliezer, Ishijah, Malchiah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33Of the sons of Hashum; Mattenai, Mattathah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34Of the sons of Bani; Maadai, Amram, and Uel,
35Benaiah, Bedeiah, Chelluh,
36Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasau,
38And Bani, and Binnui, Shimei,
39And Shelemiah, and Nathan, and Adaiah,
40Machnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41Azareel, and Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43Of the sons of Nebo; Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jadau, and Joel, Benaiah.
44All these had taken strange wives: and some of them had wives by whom they had children.
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Historical context
The narrative returns to the third person from its first verse, so Ezra's fasting in the chamber and his speech are reported rather than told by him. The proposal to put away wives and children comes from Shechaniah, who calls it a covenant according to the law but cites no passage; Ezra's own words in verse 11 speak of separation and do not mention the children. Verse 15 in this translation reads that Jonathan and Jahaziah were employed about this matter with Meshullam and Shabbethai helping; the sentence is brief and the text does not say what their part was. The examination takes three months, from the first day of the tenth month to the first day of the first month. The list of offenders names sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, the priest who built the altar in chapter 3, and only that first group, the sons of Jeshua and his brethren, is said to give their hands and offer a ram; the text does not describe any separation being carried out and says nothing of what became of the wives or children. Johanan the son of Eliashib is named only as the owner of a chamber; the text does not relate him to the Eliashib who is high priest in Nehemiah 3. The sons of Bani appear twice in the list, and the text does not explain the repetition. The list runs to more than a hundred names but gives no total. The two dates, the ninth month and the first month, are not tied to a regnal year in this chapter.
Cited passages: Ezra 10:1, Ezra 10:3, Ezra 10:11, Ezra 10:15, Ezra 10:16, Ezra 10:17, Ezra 10:18, Ezra 3:2, Ezra 10:19, Ezra 10:44, Ezra 10:6, Nehemiah 3:1, Ezra 10:29, Ezra 10:34
Literary context
The chapter answers Ezra's prayer with a human voice. Shechaniah's speech supplies the plan, and his there is hope in Israel is the first hopeful phrase after the despair of chapter 9. Ezra's role shifts from prayer to administration: he makes the people swear, withdraws to fast, and later sits to examine the cases. The scene in the rain is the chapter's one vivid picture, with the whole people seated outdoors, trembling for two reasons at once, the matter and the weather. The people's reply is not resistance but a request for a process, and the text records the process in dates. The chapter ends not with a scene but with a list, in categories that echo chapter 2, priests, Levites, singers, porters and then Israel by family, so that the book closes on a register of failure that answers its earlier register of return. The final sentence adds the detail of children without comment, and the book stops there, giving no account of the outcome.
Cited passages: Ezra 10:2, Ezra 10:5, Ezra 10:6, Ezra 10:16, Ezra 10:9, Ezra 10:13, Ezra 10:18, Ezra 10:23, Ezra 10:24, Ezra 2:36, Ezra 10:44
Key moments
- The people weep with Ezra (Ezra 10:1). A great congregation of men, women and children gathers and weeps before the house of God.
- Shechaniah proposes a covenant (Ezra 10:3). He calls for putting away the strange wives and their children according to the law.
- Israel swears (Ezra 10:5). Ezra makes the chief priests, Levites and all Israel take an oath to do it.
- Three days to gather (Ezra 10:8). A proclamation threatens forfeiture and exclusion for anyone who does not come.
- Trembling in the rain (Ezra 10:9). The men of Judah and Benjamin sit in the street of the house of God in heavy rain.
- A process proposed (Ezra 10:14). The congregation asks that rulers hear cases city by city at appointed times.
- Priests give their hands (Ezra 10:19). Sons of Jeshua pledge to put away their wives and offer a ram for their trespass.
For reflection
The book of Ezra ends with a list of men who had taken foreign wives and the bare note that some had children by them, with no account of what followed. Why might the text stop there rather than report how the covenant was carried out?
People in this chapter
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